A temperamental designated hitter with some offbeat opinions,
Everett left the World Series champion Chicago White Sox and agreed
Wednesday to a one-year contract with Seattle that guarantees him
$4 million.

Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said Everett "would break
up any monotony or boredom."

"And that's good," Bavasi added.

Everett, who batted .251 with 23 home runs and 87 RBI for
Chicago last season, gets a $3.4 million salary next year. The
Mariners also have a club option for 2007 with a $600,000 buyout.

The switch-hitter earned $4 million last season with the White
Sox. They declined their option on him Oct. 31, and he became a
free agent.

Everett joins his eighth team in 14 major league seasons, his
first west of Texas.

"I'll be taken out of my comfort zone," said Everett, a native
of Tampa, Fla. "This will probably be the biggest challenge of my
career. Coming out here, I'm about 2,505 miles away from home."

Seattle is banking on Everett filling a desperate need for
left-handed hitting.

"Today we achieved one of our offseason goals," Bavasi said.
"Carl Everett is a clutch-hitting run producer with power. As a
switch-hitter, he provides our lineup with added versatility.

"His experience and intensity will be welcome additions to our
clubhouse."

Bavasi said he and Mariners executives "analyzed" Everett's
notorious past. Among other things, while Everett was with Boston
from 2000-01, he said he did not believe in dinosaurs. That
prompted the Boston media to nickname him "Jurassic Carl."

"Of course, I am not a person who will let you know me,"
Everett said Wednesday. "That tends to offend people.

"I am outspoken."

In 2001, Everett was fined for spitting and grabbing his crotch
after he hit a home run off Seattle's Jamie Moyer.

Now, Moyer becomes a teammate.

"It was funny," Everett said, adding he and Moyer never
discussed the incident. "It was just something that happened
during the game."

Bavasi said all that paled to the strong endorsements he
received from many who have played with Everett and managed him the
last five years.

"He's not afraid to talk about what he thinks," Bavasi said.
"I admire that.

"At the end of the day, it's how he plays between the white
lines."

Everett repeatedly spoke of being someone who can motivate
Seattle's players. The Mariners have lost 192 games combined the
past two seasons. They are the first team since the 1916
Philadelphia Athletics to lose 90 games in consecutive seasons
immediately after winning 90 in back-to-back years.

"They might just need a push," Everett said. "Hopefully, I
can be that push."

Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said Everett will primarily be
his DH, "but will also play some in our outfield."

"Having him in my lineup gives us some of the left-handed sock
and run production we were looking for," Hargrove said.

Everett is one of six switch-hitters in major league history
with a 100-RBI season in each league. He had 108 with Houston in
1999 and 108 with Boston in 2000. Bobby Bonilla, Eddie Murray, Ted
Simmons, Ken Singleton and J.T. Snow are the others.

Everett is a lifetime .274 hitter with 191 homers and 759 RBIs
in 1,313 games for Florida, the New York Mets, Houston, Boston,
Texas, the White Sox and Montreal.

Bavasi said the Mariners are close to learning whether they will
be able to sign the free-agent pitchers they seek. Those are
thought to be Kevin Millwood and Jarrod Washburn.

Bavasi said Seattle will also continue to seek more offense
through trades.